y believed that
his father was omnipotent.

'I shall get into trouble,' said Coppy, playing his trump card with
an appealing look at the holder of the ace.

'Ven I won't,' said Wee Willie Winkie briefly. 'But my faver says
it's un-man-ly to be always kissing, and I didn't fink _you'd_ do
vat, Coppy.'

'I'm not always kissing, old chap. It's only now and then, and when
you're bigger you'll do it too. Your father meant it's not good for
little boys.'

'Ah!' said Wee Willie Winkie, now fully enlightened. 'It's like ve
sputter-brush?'

'Exactly,' said Coppy gravely.

'But I don't fink I'll ever want to kiss big girls, nor no one, 'cept
my muvver. And I _must_ vat, you know.'

There was a long pause, broken by Wee Willie Winkie.

'Are you fond of vis big girl, Coppy?'

'Awfully!' said Coppy.

'Fonder van you are of Bell or ve Butcha--or me?'

'It's in a different way,' said Coppy. 'You see, one of these days
Miss Allardyce will belong to me, but you'll grow up and command the
Regiment and--all sorts of things. It's quite different, you see.'

'Very well,' said Wee Willie Winkie, rising. 'If you're fond of ve
big girl, I won't tell any one. I must go now.'

Coppy rose and escorted his small guest to the door, adding--'You're
the best of little fellows, Winkie. I tell you what. In thirty days
from now you can tell if you like--tell any one you like.'

Thus the secret of the Brandis-Allardyce engagement was dependent on
a little child's word. Coppy, who knew Wee Willie Winkie's idea of
truth, was at ease, for he felt that he would not break promises. Wee
Willie Winkie betrayed a special and unusual interest in Miss
Allardyce, and, slowly revolving round that embarrassed young lady,
was used to regard her gravely with unwinking eye. He was trying to
discover why Coppy should have kissed her. She was not half so nice
as his own mother. On the other hand, she was Coppy's property, and
would in time belong to him. Therefore it behoved him to treat her
with as much respect as Coppy's big sword or shiny pistol.

The idea that he shared a great secret in common with Coppy kept Wee
Willie Winkie unusually virtuous for three weeks. Then the Old Adam
broke out, and he made what he called a 'camp-fire' at the bottom of
the garden. How could he have foreseen that the flying sparks would
have lighted the Colonel's little hay-rick and consumed a week's
store for the horses? Sudden and swift was the
punishment--deprivatio